If this post offends anyone, I apologize in advance but as always, you as a reader have the freedom to click the "x" button in the top right corner.This topic has been pondering through the dusty whereabouts of my brain for awhile and I tried to stifle it, saying it didn't matter, it didn't need to be addressed but as always, the more you try to shut up a thought, the more adamant it is about getting out. So, I argued with it and made a deal with it (it plead a tough case, I'll tell you what) but we ultimately came to an agreement that I would address this issue solely on the basis for
explanation,
research and for a deeper understanding among consumers and maybe as a reality check for yours truly over here.
The reason why I'm so hesitant to address this is because let's be honest, money is
touchy.
In the college realm that I live in, it's okay to be broke. Well, maybe not okay, but more socially accepted. The excuse, "Can't, I don't have money," is simply nodded at and accepted and either leaves the person left out of the party or at the mercy of his or her friends buying him drinks the entire night.
In the real world, being broke either means you're careless, you're unemployed, you're lazy or you're just plain unlucky. It's somewhat understood but far less accepted. I'm not here to argue whether using the excuse or owning
the excuse of being broke should be more socially accepted and less
frowned upon in the real world, I'm just here to address these
exclamations as supporting examples for the points I want to address. In the fashion world, being broke doesn't fly at all. In fact, it's a
requirement to have money or else you're kicked to the curb with the rest of the
penniless folks
trudging around in
Hanes Beefy T's. Cruel and unusual punishment, I know. Fashion isn't fair and it's
expensive. It is! For a basic need, it is expensive. Think about how much your grocery bill compares to your clothing bill, yet they're both basic needs. The need to be fed and the need to be protected and covered by clothing.
And this doesn't even include the accessories; the
headbands, the handbags, the shoes, the sandals, the open toed pumps, the bracelets, the scarves, the gloves, the
mittens etc. On the grander scheme of things, I am nowhere near where I would like to be financially to keep up with the pace of the fashion world. I would
love to be able to go out and buy
Louboutin's every weekend and three or four Hermes handbags whenever I felt like, however, I don't exactly have $800 (or $15,000 for Hermes) lying around every weekened to use at my
discrepancy.
BUT I'll be honest, I SEE NOTHING WRONG with the fact in spending that much on a pair of shoes or on a handbag. If you're an able bodied adult who is responsible and you want to spend $15,000 on a handbag, by all means,
DO IT. What I can't stand is the sneers from those who can't. It's almost reverse snubbing, in a sense.
"Ick, how frivolous, she just spent that much on a pair of shoes/bag/fashion accessory, she could have donated it to charity."Maybe she did donate to charity, maybe she just got back from two years of serving the Peace Corp and she wants to treat herself and
maybe you should just shut up because you have no authority over her life OR her bank account for that matter.
THAT is what boils my blood. For those who have made those comments or believe that spending money on expensive shoes and bags is silly and wasteful, I kindly ask that you do a self-check and ask yourself who are you to subject your authority over someone's spending habits. (
NOW if it's your baby sister or daughter or mother or cousin or husband and they're sending the family straight into Chapter 11, then by all means, you have authority, but you see my point..)
In the blogging realm, I see so much of this. Those who do spend and those who do not and more often thant not, it's those who do not that appear to have this need to try and "snub" those who do. Why read these blogs, then? Why waste time carefully typing out a well thought comment argueing how wasteful someone is? That is five minutes you lost that you could have been worrying about your
own life.
Another topic I wanted to bring up is the fashion price tag and how it transforms. And this will be from a personal viewpoint, so please, if you disagree, remember this is my own opionion, not yours.
The more engrossed I become in fashion (remember, I'm a fashion merchandising and business marketing student, I'm neck deep) the more I become numb to the price of it. Spending $600 for a pair of designer shoes (remember, they have leather soles and are hand crafted) isn't expensive. Spending $1200 is, at least to me. A $3,000 handbag (now keep in mind, these are made out of alligator or snake usually) is understandable, although, I usually like to hang around in the $600-800, preferably. A pair of jeans that are $150 is CHEAP in comparison to the $250 or so of my favorite brand, Rock & Republic, anything above $300 and I shy away from. However, to others, anything over $70 bucks would be atrocious to spend on a pair of jeans.
Now this doesn't mean I'm going out every weekend and dropping $600 on shoes and handbags, I am world shopper. I'll shop at Target the very same day I go to Neiman Marcus and then maybe swing by T-J Maxx on the way home while planning a visit to the Louis Vuitton store the next day.
My question is to how do you organize your fashion spending? What is inexpensive to you or expensive? And why? How do you justify it?
And if you find yourself pleading guilty to being one of the "fashion spending snubbers," why? Out of jealousy? Out of spite? Out of annoyance? I'm curious. This is just for me to wrap my head around what consumers are doing versus what the fashion insiders are doing and also to address an issue that has seriously been bothering me in the fashion blogging world. Keep an open mind, ladies, keep it open.
♥ Bridget
